RTÉ Player vs Virgin Media Play
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RTÉ Player
Access a vast library of Irish television content, both live and on-demand. Stream popular dramas, sports, entertainment, and children's programs from RTÉ channels. Features include personalized recommendations, watchlists, and accessibility options.
- Live and on-demand TV streaming
- Thousands of favorite RTÉ shows
- Full series of dramas and soaps
- Live sporting action
- RTÉ Player Kids section
- In-vision ISL and Audio Description
- Personalized recommendations and watchlists
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RTÉ Player is the home of must-see TV in Ireland, live and on-demand. Watch 1000s of your favourite RTÉ shows. Full series of gripping drama from home and abroad, soaps, live sporting action and entertainment shows everyone’s talking about. Browse and switch between RTÉ channels - RTÉ One, RTÉ 2, RTÉ News and RTÉ Kids on the go. Entertain little ones with RTÉ Player Kids. A world of fun, learning and entertainment with the best RTÉJr programmes live and on demand. KEY FEATURES - Don’t miss a minute of the action, breaking news or live sport. -Discover the most-talked about shows like Room to Improve, Kin and Smother. -Access shows with in-vision Irish Sign Language (ISL) and Audio Description (AD) -Sign in to RTÉ Player to continue watching shows and pick up where you left off on any device. -Sign in and get recommendations tailored to you, making picking what to watch easier than ever. -Watch later. ‘Favourite’ a program to create a watchlist of programmes to go back to, so you don’t miss RTÉ’s most talked about shows. -Share your favourites with friends through social sharing. The RTÉ Player App uses streaming technology which means that you must be connected to the Internet in order to watch programmes. The app will automatically adjust video quality based on the speed of your WiFi connection.
Virgin Media Play
Stream popular TV shows, dramas, and Irish content live or on demand. Enjoy features like restarting live shows, accessing all channels, and improved accessibility services. Discover new titles and search for favorites.
- Stream live and on-demand TV shows
- Restart live shows from the beginning
- Access all Virgin Media channels
- Improved accessibility (subtitles, audio description)
- Watch major shows minutes after airing
- Browse and search for new titles and favorites
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It’s Playtime! Virgin Media Play is Virgin Media Televisions revamped and brand new on demand Player. Looking to stream some of the most talked about TV shows for free? You’re in the right place. From homegrown Irish content and unmissable sport to reality boxsets and jaw-dropping dramas, Virgin Media Play has it all available live or on demand. What you’ll love about Virgin Media Play • Restart shows live from the beginning so you don’t miss a single moment. • Seamlessly watch all our channels within the app. • Improved accessibility services, including subtitles and audio description. • Stream major shows such as Love Island and Gogglebox Ireland minutes after they’ve aired so you don’t get FOMO. • We add new TV programmes and films all the time, so why not browse new titles or search for your favourites and stream to your device? So, what are you waiting for? Download the new and improved Virgin Media Play app to your mobile, tablet or smart TV and open up a world of entertainment at your fingertips. Got a feature you love? Share the love! Found a bug? We're here to squish it! Think there's a smoother way to do things? Let's optimize like there's no tomorrow! Don’t hesitate to get in touch to share your feedback by contacting playsupport@virginmedia.ie.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: RTÉ Player at 4.7 against Virgin Media Play's 2.3. RTÉ Player also leads on review sentiment (46% vs 12%) and ratings volume (6.3K vs 3). Virgin Media Play's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RTÉ Player holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RTÉ Player has 6.3K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of RTÉ Player's written reviews are positive against 12% of Virgin Media Play's.
RTÉ Player ships an update every 3 weeks, Virgin Media Play monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | RTÉ Player | Virgin Media Play |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (6.3K ratings) — better | 2.3 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 46.1% of reviews — better | 11.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6.3K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 86 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | RTÉ | TV3 TELEVISION NETWORK LIMITED |
Customer experience
RTÉ Player
Virgin Media Play
In-app purchases
RTÉ Player
No in-app purchases
Virgin Media Play
No in-app purchases
